In computing systems, such as desktop computers, portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), servers, and others, storage devices are used to store data and program instructions. One type of storage device is a disk-based device, such as a magnetic disk drive (e.g., a floppy disk drive or hard disk drive) and an optical disk drive (e.g., a CD or DVD drive). Disk-based storage devices have a rotating storage medium with a relatively large storage capacity. However, disk-based storage devices offer relatively slow read-write speeds when compared to operating speeds of other components of a computing system, such as microprocessors and other semiconductor devices.
Another type of storage device is a solid state memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, and electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Although solid state memory devices offer relatively high read-write speeds, usually on the order of nanoseconds, they have relatively limited storage capacities.
With improvements in nanotechnology (technology involving microscopic moving parts), other types of storage devices are being developed. One such storage device (referred to as a “probe-based storage device”) is based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), in which one or more microscopic scanning probes are used to read and write to a storage medium. Typically, a scanning probe has a tip that is contacted to a surface of the storage medium. Storage of data in the storage medium is based on perturbations created by the tip of the probe in the surface of the storage medium. In one implementation, a perturbation is a dent in the storage medium surface, with a dent representing a logical “1,” and the lack of a dent representing a logical “0.”
One of the issues associated with a probe-based storage device is the density of data bits that can be stored on the storage device. To enable meaningful storage of data bits in adjacent storage cells defined on a storage medium of a probe-based storage device, a minimum pitch is typically defined between adjacent storage cells. The minimum pitch defines a minimum distance between storage cells so that a dent formed in a first storage cell does not encroach into a neighboring storage cell. Overlapping of a dent into a neighboring storage cell can result in inaccurate detection of data. The minimum pitch specified between storage cells of a probe-based storage device prevents a higher storage density from being achieved, which can lead to higher cost per bit of data.